The best of Chelsea by the people who know - Cadogan

70 | SHOPPING | Spotlight on shops
uses unusual stones and her designs are
classical with a quirky touch.
Monday-Friday 10am-5.30pm, open
on some Saturdays (closed on Saturdays
in July and August).
147 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BZ
T: 020 7730 2202
www.cassandragoad.com
Chloé
Known for its elegant, feminine and
romantic collections, Chloé celebrates its
60th anniversary in 2012. While there are
Chloé ranges in luxury department stores
including Harrods and Harvey Nichols,
this is London’s only standalone Chloé
boutique. It offers ready-to-wear, accessories
and fragrance lines.
Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
(Wednesday until 7pm).
152-153 Sloane Street, SW1X 9BX
T: 020 7823 5348
www.chloe.com
Lulu Guinness
British accessories designer Lulu
Guinness is famous for her witty handbags
and some of her designs are in the
permanent fashion collection at
the Victoria and Albert
Museum. Fashion fans
should make time to pop
into her Ellis Street store –
even if you don’t end up
buying anything, it’s a
wonderful showcase of
her quirky style.
Monday-Friday 10am-
6pm, Saturday 10am-
6pm.
3 Ellis Street, SW1X 9AL
T: 020 7823 4828
www.luluguinness.com
Manolo Blahnik
Shoe icon Manolo
Blahnik’s flagship store is in Old
Church Street. His dramatic designs
are spectacular – worth a look for any
fashion (or Sex and the City) fan.
Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm.
49-51 Old Church Street, SW3 5BS
T: 020 7352 8622
www.manoloblahnik.com
Maria Grachvogel
Designer Maria Grachvogel recently
moved into Culford Gardens from Sloane
Street. The three-storey townhouse,
designed by Russell Sage, features an
atelier, a couture and bridal space and
the ready-to-wear collection.
She says her aim is ‘to create pieces
that when worn make you look and feel
amazing’ and her mission is to design for
all women – rather than use a fit model,
she uses real women. It makes for flattering,
beautiful clothes, and her designs
are often seen on the red carpet.
Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
(Wednesday until 7pm).
18 Culford Gardens, Blacklands Terrace,
SW3 2ST. T: 020 7245 9331
www.mariagrachvogel.com
Mary Quant
Mary Quant, the designer that
kickstarted the King’s Road’s
reputation for fashion with
Bazaar in 1955 (see History
and King’s Road in Streets
and Sights), has her selftitled
London shop in Duke
of York Square. It sells fashion
and cosmetics and there
is a makeover service.
Monday-Saturday 10am-
6.30pm (Wednesday until
7pm), Sunday 11am-5pm.
37 Duke of York Square,
Lulu Guinness SW3 4LY. T: 020 7881 9833
www.maryquant.co.uk
Rigby & Peller
Rigby & Peller, famous for
its luxurious lingerie, has
held the Royal Warrant of Appointment
as Corsetieres to the Queen since 1960.
It’s a family-run business and its flagship
store is on the King’s Road.
Monday-Saturday 10am-7pm
(Wednesday until 8pm), Sunday 12pm-
6pm.
13 King’s Road, SW3 4RP
T: 0845 076 5545
www.rigbyandpeller.com
Selina Blow
Selina Blow launched her first collection
in 1992 and is known for her sharp,
clean tailoring and bold colours. Her
ready-to-wear range is available in her
retail store just off Sloane Street.
Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday
11am-6pm.
1 Ellis Street, SW1X 9AL. T: 020 7730
2077
www.selinablow.com
Worlds End
Vivienne Westwood has played an
important role in Chelsea’s history (see
History and King’s Road in Streets and
Sights) and her presence is still felt on
the King’s Road with her wonderfully
eccentric shop.
Its design is a fusion of The Old
Curiousity Shop and a galleon,
with a huge clock on its front that
spins backwards and deliberately
sloping floors. It is, in
fact, the same shop that
used to be called SEX –
where Johnny Rotten
auditioned for the Sex
Pistols – and was
later rebranded
Seditionaries. It was
Manolo
Blahnik
renamed and remodelled as Worlds End
in 1980. With its unusual, outlandish
and edgy fashion, it is still pushing
boundaries and challenging the mainstream
today.
430 King’s Road, SW10 0LR
T: 020 7352 6551
www.worldsendshop.co.uk
Something
different
Basia Zarzycka
A sparkling chest of accessories,
garments, things for brides, antique
handbags and hair combs, going into
Basia Zarzycka is like stepping into
another world.
She is inspired by nature and folklore,
and her unique designs are unusual and
spectacular, and her customers have
included Kylie Minogue, Johnny Depp
and Monica Bellucci. Before last year's
Royal wedding, Kate, William and Harry
paid a visit.
Basia explains: “Everything here is
made from scratch using old-fashioned
techniques and I stamp it all with my
personality, with flowers and stones and
sparkly things, to bring a smile to people’s
faces.”
Past commissions have included a
tiara for a real swan in an advertisement,
and a wedding dress with a train 12
metres long and weighing 42 kilos – they
had to make little wheels to carry it on –
studded with Swarovski crystals and
3D flowers.
54 Sloane Square, SW1W 8AX
T: 020 7730 1660
www.basia-zarzycka.com
British Red Cross
Charity shops in wealthy areas get some
high quality donations, and the British
Red Cross shop in Old Church Street is
well worth a look.